Remember me-- the confesses sugarholic. Well despite having baked 6 cakes, a batch of cookies, a pan of brownies, and rice crispy treats over the past 6.5 weeks I'd like to report I still have 100% of my sweets points. From the chat it seems like most people are doing really well with this. Way to go! I've found it way easier to just cut sugar out completely than to cheat every now and then. How about everyone else?
A friend of mine happen to go off sugar about the same time. On Saturday she came over for dinner and brought a delicious completely sugar free pie (only a little stevia to sweeten the whipped cream -- I didn't say it was low fat). The pie got me thinking about other things I could make with a sugar substitute. The thing is I'm a little unclear on what is an approved sweetener and what is a no no. I think back to the intense banter at the beginning of this thing and recall something about no sweets with processed sugar. What is processed sugar? Can we have raw sugar? What are sweeteners that don't fall in this category?
Let's just get this out in the open, is Splenda/sucralose okay? I was under the impression that anything ending in ose is a sugar but lots of things that are "sugar free" or have "no sugar added" have Splenda. I haven't been eating it but would have no problem diving back in if it is actually on the approved list. There are some sugar free popsicles sweetened with Splenda calling my name in my freezer.
I'm assuming Stevia/Truvia/other brand names of sweeteners derived from the stevia leaf are okay. There's also be a lot of talk about sugar free jello so I've assumed aspartame is approved.
What about honey, agave, or maple syrup?
Sorry for requesting a more detailed list. I hope I don't make anyone upset breaking the sort of don't as don't tell thing we've had going on. I just really have to know.
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I will tell you I have been using Splenda. I figured sugar was called sugar. If something is labeled sugar free I just go with it. This is what I have done to keep sane.
ReplyDeleteNow I have not been eating things with high fructose corn syrup and such and saying hey well it isn't "sugar." If it says it is sugar free I take it for it's word. Just wanted to clarify.
I see you have been far better then I have. So I say eat your Splenda sweetened Popsicle and keep your point, because that is what I have been doing. I confess I have also used agave and honey in recipes. (I will continue to do so and still keep my points regardless of what any of you say.) To truly loose weight I can't eat a lot of anything with sugar substitutes in it, they still are loaded with too many calories. But for the OCCASIONAL point where I am about to break I have eaten things with Splenda and such.
I also never thought I would get to the point that something made with Splenda would actually taste good, but I guess you go long enough without the real thing and one starts to take what he/she can get.
I don't know what others are doing but this is where I am at.
I have lost my points to have "eat days" now and then, and it definitely makes it hard. I think I am eating way more in a day then I should because I am cramming so much in, I figure if I am going to lose a point I might as well make it worth it! (not a healthy plan!) For the sweeteners, I think it should be more the principle than the ingredients. We are trying to go off of treats and desserts, not substitute sugar for completely UNHEALTHY substitutes like splenda. Especially when the fat/calorie content isn't better than that of regular desserts, I think it's defeating the point of trying to become more healthy. That's just my opinion, if I am going to eat a treat (NO MATTER HOW IT IS SWEETENED) then I am going to lose a point.
ReplyDeleteBut, Amy, you also let yourself drink hot chocolate or even the pina colada and don't take away points. So why aren't those treats? I think you look at your sweets and treats differently then I do. I use small amounts of Splenda, while it isn't the best option, but I use it to sweeten my Special K cereal or a grapefruit just a smidgen. I think in the end you and I have very different opinions on how this should be and I don't see either of us changing our opinion.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is if you need to you can use a sugar substitue and not loose your sweets point. The rule said, you could have sugar free desserts. If they happen to have a sugar free substitue, that's OK. I've had one here and there, but also know they are still full of calories and I still want to loose weight, so I limit them. I use Xagave as my sweetener.
ReplyDeleteOut of all the people that come and ask me as a nutritionist how to diet and what they should and shouldn't eat, I always tell them it's up to them as an individual. Diets need to be personal and I hope that we don't forget that we aren't trying to be healthy for 3 months but for a lifetime. My opinion would be to do what will help you reach your goals. Amy and I have had treats every now and then (despite what some people say we do make sure we don't count the points) but that works for us. "White knuckling" it doesn't work for us, nor does using artificial sweeteners-that might not work for you, which is fine. Sometimes I think the competitive nature of this competition takes away from the fact that we are trying to help each other, not hinder each other. Anyway...
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